Monday, February 8, 2010

The Once and Future King (13)

T.H. White. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 1939.

Why read it?Merlyn teaches King Arthur the art of leadership. Part of his training was in learning to live with the animals and gain their perspective. Finally, he founded the Round Table. Merlyn is a most amazing character. A delightful and imaginative tale of what was to become known as Camelot. And a great deal of wisdom.

Ideas:

“The bravest people are the ones who don’t mind looking like cowards.” p. 609.

“ ‘Now that the guns have come,’ said Arthur, ‘the Table is over.’ ”

“Arthur had been taught by Merlyn to believe that man was perfectible: that he was on the whole more decent than beastly.” p. 621.

“The service for which he [Arthur] had been destined had been against Force, the mental illness of humanity…but the whole structure depended on the first premise: that man was decent.” p. 621.

“He [Arthur] had conquered murder, to be faced with war.” p. 622.

“Why did men fight? Was it the wicked leaders who led innocent populations to slaughter, or was it wicked populations who chose leaders after their own hearts?” p. 622.